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Big Sugar Gravel weather
What race day has been like in Bentonville, Arkansas, the forecast when it’s close, and how to see the wind and rain on every stretch of the course.
- When
- Mid-October
- Start & finish
- Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas
- Distance
- About 100 mi (also 50 and 25)
- Climbing
- About 7,100 ft (2025 course)
- Terrain
- Loose, rocky Ozark backroads and creek crossings
Live weather
Loading the weather in Bentonville…
Race day in past years
The weather in Bentonville on October 17, 7 AM to 6 PM, in each of the last 10 years. The race isn’t always on that exact date, but it shows what that time of year is like.
Loading 10 years of weather…
Measured for the base town. Out on the course, especially higher up, it can be colder, windier or wetter.
Forecast the course, stretch by stretch
The town forecast only tells part of the story. Route Forecast times the weather to where you’ll be on the course.
- Get the course from the race: a GPX file, or a Ride with GPS or Strava route link. Races usually publish it a few weeks before.
- Open Route Forecast and drop in the file or paste the link.
- Set the race start time and your pace. You’ll see temperature, rain and headwind, tailwind or crosswind for every stretch.
About the course
- Ozark gravel with sharp, embedded rock, so tire choice and pressure matter.
- No single big climb: lots of short, steep pitches, some well over 10%.
- Sugar Creek crossings range from shallow to hub-deep depending on recent rain.
- Weather: Mid-October in northwest Arkansas usually means cool mornings and mild afternoons, but rain earlier in the week raises the creek crossings and softens the roads.
Questions
What’s the weather usually like at Big Sugar?
Mid-October in northwest Arkansas usually means cool mornings and mild afternoons, but rain earlier in the week raises the creek crossings and softens the roads. This page shows the weather in Bentonville, Arkansas on October 17 in each of the last 10 years, from 7 AM to 6 PM: temperature, wind and rain.
When is Big Sugar Gravel?
Mid-October. The 2026 race was October 17.
Can I get a forecast for the whole Big Sugar course?
Yes. Get the course GPX file, or a Ride with GPS or Strava route link, from the race, and open it in Route Forecast (free, no account). Set your start time and pace, and it shows the temperature, rain and headwind, tailwind or crosswind on every stretch of the course, timed to when you’ll be there.
When will the race-day forecast be available?
Weather models forecast about two weeks ahead. Once the race date is set, check this page about two weeks before. Until then it shows the weather there now and race-day weather from past years.